Oscars 2011 Best Score: My Thoughts

It's been a night without sleep for me as I was watching the Oscars yet again. It started approximately at 2am and lasted until 6am so I am knackered.

Nevertheless, I was there for one thing and that was to be there when they announced the winners of the best score category. I watched and waited in anticipation, but in hindsight I should have been in bed sleeping because there were no unexpected surprises, no twists and turns, just standard Oscar-ness.

When is it going to be my year? When will my favorites win? It's not about the surprise either, because as The Academy has proved before, surprises can happen. The problem is that it's never a good surprise, like Babel in 2006.

Hopes were dashed yet again as I was clamoring to the silly notion that there must have been some divine reason for John Powell's nomination. Snubbed at the Golden Globes, why would it even be at the Oscars? As it turns out, it was for nothing. Sure, it's an honor just to be nominated but the reality is that it's 1 winner and 4 losers in the Best Score category.

The winner this year was surprising but not unexpected. Contradictions aside, I was expecting either The Social Network or The King's Speech to win with The King's Speech a slight favorite. I knew the second The Social Network was announced as the winner that this was purely compensation from The Academy due to the fact that The King's Speech was going to win all the really big awards. The Best Score win was simply a plaster on the wound for The Social Network. Not for a second do I believe that the voting members with an average age of 57 like the music of The Social Network over the other 4 nominees. Sorry, that's just not happening.

If the voting members actually voted on The Social Network because they thought the score was the best, then they have absolutely no appreciation for great music. The Social Network was decent, but competing with How To Train Your Dragon and Inception there's no explanation good enough to answer why it won instead of those two.

I have realized that The Academy will never think like I do, so it's a lost cause. Still I kick myself every year for getting excited and watching it. We all do right?

So these are just some thoughts of mine, I'm curious to what you all think?

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Comments

Riku
01 Mar 2011, 16:45
As I put it on one Internet site, "Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman are turning in their graves, and they aren't even dead yet."
The odd thing about the HTTYD score is that although I thought it was a very, very good score and deserved to be nominated, I thought all the other nominees (excepting TSN, of course) were even better. Of course, that's just an opinion, but isn't everything else on this site? :)
Pratyush
01 Mar 2011, 09:14
Um..Actually, there are quite many people who hate Inception, and a small bunch who didn't like HTTYD. So, do we have the right to say that their taste for music is inferior or not well-refined? No, we do not. Taste is entirely subjective, with absolutely no rules defined (ok, maybe i am being overtly simplistic).

I can say that HTTYD is a better score, you can say it too, most of the people agree with what we both have been saying, but that doesn't make our sayings a fact. All it depends upon, is taste. I love Inception for being so inventive, and i have heard someone say that Inception is unoriginal. Now, how are we supposed to conclude whether Inception is a 'good' score or not. The truth is, we simply cant.

As for why TSN won, it is as Jørn said, pure compensation.
Chiara
01 Mar 2011, 08:07
I completely agree. I had a speck of hope that Powell would win, he deserved it the most and is long due an award. I know most say that it is subjective but I think anyone can see that HTTYD is a much better score.

Powell clearly took so much time to sync and fit it with each character, story and piece of dialogue. There are recognisable recurring themes and their developments throughout are fantastic. It's like they mature with the characters...
On top of all that, it is beautifully written and arranged. Most of the cues give me goosebumps.

I have been listening to both OST's trying so hard to find reasons why TSN won...and I just can't.
Caitlind
28 Feb 2011, 12:09
When I had heard that The Social Network has won, my first thought was...well rage. Then I began to wonder about the rest of the Soundtrack Fan community. I assumed that you, Jørn, would not be too impressed. My opinion though, of the Oscars was trashed when Brokeback Mountain won over John Williams Memories of a Geshia. So I wasn't too surprised at this shame of an award.
Jørn
28 Feb 2011, 06:28
@Pratyush Thanks for your thoughts! By the way, I really like your idea. I think I will run with it, but not just for new scores.
Pratyush
28 Feb 2011, 04:59
Btw Jørn, it would be good if we see a track list (along with ratings assigned) for each and every OST release (the new ones). You dont need to write anything, just assign ratings to individual tracks as you normally do with your favorites color coded :) And maybe a line or so which sums up your whole listening experience. I really look forward to your reviews, as our choices are too similar. Am i asking too much?
Pratyush
28 Feb 2011, 04:50
I've had enough of these pointless award ceremonies. I didn't watch it (In my time zone, it started at 6 am, i suppose, and i usually wake up at 10, maybe thats why i couldn't catch it :D).

My favourite choice would have been HTTYD or Inception. HTTYD, for me, has been one of the most memorable scores. Inception, on the other hand, was inventive. Taking a simple sound structure, using it to create a timeless loop of tunes, and making it connect to the listener on an emotional level, not just for aural pleasure, is what makes Inception so unique, something which isn't easy to do. If a cue can make you feel, not just appreciate the music, then it is more than enough. There are several film scores which i listen to, and just appreciate the music, without ever feeling connected, and that, in my humble opinion is not a good piece of music. This is why people have so different choices. Different people feel connected to entirely different things and I wont blame them even if the Academy voters come and say that The Social Network was the best of the lot and deserved the award, if they really mean it. Speaking of me, it didn't and i feel sad my favorites didn't win. Thats all :)